Go woke, go broke? Not a chance, say Ben and Jerry
Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield are about as well known for their progressive politics as they are for quirky ice cream flavors like Chunky Monkey and Phish Food. Their experiment in melding business with social justice for years seemed like a model that many in the corporate world were warming up to. And then attitudes cooled.
Some businesses have started to put less emphasis on the kinds of social and political issues that Ben & Jerry’s has championed. Certain investors have urged corporations to stick with what they know best. For their part, the lifelong friends, both now 73 years old, say their style of corporate activism isn’t bad for business—just the opposite.
Most companies aren’t comfortable engaging with social issues because “they don’t want to potentially alienate customers," says Greenfield. “The irony is for Ben & Jerry’s, that is what makes the company successful." Cohen and Greenfield say the brand is now at a crossroads after parent company Unilever said in March that it would spin off or sell its ice cream division, a move interpreted by some as the culmination of a failed experiment in mixing progressive politics with big business. While Ben & Jerry’s has for decades worn its heart on its sleeve, some of the brand’s political pronouncements in recent years have angered certain consumers and investors.
Cohen believes this is at least partly the reason for its owner’s decision to part ways. For Unilever, “Ben & Jerry’s creates a lot of problems," he says. Cohen and Greenfield, who still count as Unilever employees, say the upset is worth it.
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